Last night my husband made a remark about finishing my book so I could sell it. And in the remark, he said something about it being my "first" book.
"But, it's not." I reminded him. "I've finished six books."
"Yes, but this one has the potential to sell."
The thing is--the thing he'll never realize--is that I thought this about every one of the books I've written. I wrote them because I thought they were "the one".
I write because I fall in love with a story or a character who has a story to tell. A story that only I can tell.
I've learned a lot during the twenty-odd years that I've been writing and with each book, I hope my writing and mechanics have improved. It took finishing those six books to get me where I am today.
I really hope that Bix is "the" book I've been waiting for my whole writing life, but if he's not, I'm sure I'll find another story, another character to fall in love with.
Because that's what writers do. We write. We create. And most of all, we love those we create.
I'm in the same boat, Margie. I just finished a book and sent it off...I think it's my best so far, love the characters and I think it's got a shot. But if the worst happens, I know I will be right back at the keyboard creating something new.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Margie. I know there ARE people who write for the pure pleasure of it, with no intent to sell. But I can't help but wonder if it's not there in the backs of their minds anyway.
ReplyDeleteI believe in Bix, BTW!
I love Bix, Margie, and believe it is the one. But even if you sell, you still have to come up with more sories and more characters to fall in love with.
ReplyDeleteI confess...I love to write just to write...but I DO dream of being published. I'm not short on creating stories, but I am short one agent and a contract short.
ReplyDeleteI have quit writing a few times, but a new story always calls me back. I'll probably die with a new story in my head! And, yeah, hopefully one of these days the one will sell!
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